272
Albums Rated
3.31
Average Rating
25%
Complete
817 albums remaining
Rating Distribution
Rating Timeline
Taste Profile
1970s
Favorite Decade
Post-punk
Favorite Genre
other
Top Origin
Wordsmith
Rater Style ?
31
5-Star Albums
6
1-Star Albums
Breakdown
By Genre
By Decade
By Origin
Albums
You Love More Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Tago Mago
Can
|
5 | 2.79 | +2.21 |
|
Swordfishtrombones
Tom Waits
|
5 | 2.95 | +2.05 |
|
Exile In Guyville
Liz Phair
|
5 | 3.02 | +1.98 |
|
The Modern Lovers
The Modern Lovers
|
5 | 3.06 | +1.94 |
|
Trans Europe Express
Kraftwerk
|
5 | 3.15 | +1.85 |
|
Tonight's The Night
Neil Young
|
5 | 3.23 | +1.77 |
|
Let It Be
The Replacements
|
5 | 3.25 | +1.75 |
|
Since I Left You
The Avalanches
|
5 | 3.28 | +1.72 |
|
The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
Charles Mingus
|
5 | 3.32 | +1.68 |
|
It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
Public Enemy
|
5 | 3.36 | +1.64 |
You Love Less Than Most
| Album | You | Global | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Hotel California
Eagles
|
1 | 3.6 | -2.6 |
|
S&M
Metallica
|
1 | 3.26 | -2.26 |
|
Pyromania
Def Leppard
|
1 | 3.13 | -2.13 |
|
Pump
Aerosmith
|
1 | 3.11 | -2.11 |
|
(What's The Story) Morning Glory
Oasis
|
2 | 3.84 | -1.84 |
|
(Pronounced 'Leh-'Nérd 'Skin-'Nérd)
Lynyrd Skynyrd
|
2 | 3.75 | -1.75 |
|
Appetite For Destruction
Guns N' Roses
|
2 | 3.74 | -1.74 |
|
Brothers In Arms
Dire Straits
|
2 | 3.74 | -1.74 |
|
G. Love And Special Sauce
G. Love & Special Sauce
|
1 | 2.74 | -1.74 |
|
The Joshua Tree
U2
|
2 | 3.67 | -1.67 |
Artists
Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Neil Young | 2 | 5 |
| Bob Dylan | 3 | 4.33 |
Least Favorites
| Artist | Albums | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Aerosmith | 3 | 2 |
Controversial
| Artist | Ratings |
|---|---|
| Metallica | 4, 1 |
5-Star Albums (31)
View Album Wall
Popular Reviews
Pink Floyd
5/5
Jesus Christ, where to begin?
The absolute stronghold this band had on me as a 15 year old is pretty gargantuan.
I feel like for me (and likely a lot of other people), this is one of those records where you first understand that an album could be more than just a collection of good songs, but an entire piece to view as a whole. The first side of this record is difficult to fault - from the concepts laid down early in its intros to the sonic whiplash of the paranoid alarm clocks and most bananas guitar sounds in Time that send me right round the bend, (even if you find guitar solos ostentatious, this one is so tasty), to that earth shattering vocal solo by Clare Tolly on Great Gig - seamless transition throughout and so polished and so weird.
Side 2 I could maybe nitpick at, but honestly that’s all it is. Us and Them maybe crawls a bit towards the end of its runtime. Money is maybe cheesy and on the nose compared to some of their other work, but it’s still so hooky. That punchy time signature and the ringing of the cash registers brings it all home. And the remaining tracks may as well be blended into a single three-part movement that just just brings the whole project to an exciting and electric climax. The mixing and production throughout is hard to deny - this has got to be one of the best sounding records of the 70s, if not all time. Hope everyone that listens to this album does so through good quality headphones.
It has surely had its praises sung over the last 50 years (and if I’m being honest, I’m not sure it cracks my top 3 Floyd albums), but listening to this again was just insane and brought a huge smile to my face. Is it overhyped? Maybe. Is it still an absolute hum-dinger of a concept album? No doubt.
This was just as much a pleasure listening to it now as it was the first time a decade ago
I'm going the whole hog! 5 stars!
Fave track: Time
7 likes
Dire Straits
2/5
I thought this would be a pleasant return to an album I played a fair bit as a teenager, but after the first track I remembered I actually don’t like Money For Nothing, and truly despise Walk Of Life.
Things didn’t really improve from there I have to say, and am glad I had a chance to sit down with this album again so I could give another reassessment of it. I might have gone round thinking this was an album I liked! Good lord!
Fave track: Brothers In Arms
3 likes
The Avalanches
5/5
This is an all-timer. I first heard this record when I was about 13 years old and fully thought I was going to make music exactly like this when I grew up.
This album appreciates with age; I love it more than I did when I first heard it - second-to-none production in a style that still feels fresh. Gold standard mixing and exact flow between tracks that just also happens to be super fun to listen to and makes you feel like dancing or bobbing your head along at the very least.
It’s a perfect summer afternoon. 5 stars - one of the great Australian albums. Fave track is Electricity.
2 likes
4/5
What a treat - so easy to enjoy the punchy and unique stylings and fun instrumentation.
Seems completely original and innovative compared to some of the other rock and post-punk outfits of the time.
Weird and a total joy.
Fave track: Come Back Jonee
1 likes
1-Star Albums (6)
All Ratings
Radiohead
4/5
Jane's Addiction
4/5
Elton John
3/5
The Modern Lovers
5/5
Could listen to Jonathan Richman all day. This is an old favourite I was happy to revisit
Bruce Springsteen
4/5
A really entertaining entry into Springsteen’s canon. Quite darker than Born to Run, which I appreciate, but also shares so much in common, and not sure it ever quite reaching those heights. Still really enjoyed this listen.
The Everly Brothers
3/5
Cute little collection of songs - Cathy’s Clown in a banger.
Dr. Dre
4/5
Great samples and beats, funny skits. Solid hip hop classic
Mott The Hoople
3/5
Wasn’t blown away by any means, but daggy inoffensive 70s rock is kind of my wheelhouse. My only prior knowledge of Mott The Hoople is that they were kind of like Bowie but without all the genius. That probably hasn’t changed after listening to this album.
The Police
3/5
Some great instrumentation, but Sting’s vocal style I never seemed to warm towards. Title track is probably the standout for me.
The Lemonheads
4/5
Enjoyed this more than I expected to - not groundbreaking but some fun drumming over a pretty classic 90s guitar sound. Title track is the favourite once again - 3 and a half stars.
John Lee Hooker
2/5
The gentler couplet of songs that finish the album won me back a bit, and some brilliant guitar picking, but the aggressive noodling sound isn’t something that ever had a stronghold on me. The flat late-80s production on a couple of the tracks won’t leave me rushing to return to this album. Two and a half. Fave track - My Dream.
The Byrds
4/5
Really solid country album, and maybe the best record overall from The Byrds.
I think it’s easy to misinterpret (like I first did) some of the more tongue-in-cheek performances as more sincere than they actually are, ie ‘This Christian Life’, but this record has grown on me a lot since my first listen.
A lot of fun and great musicianship for an album of mostly covers. 4 and a half stars.
Favourite track - You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere
3/5
Takes me back to listening to my iPod shuffle on a family road trip to Port McQuarie - lot of good memories for this record. Not a bad rock album overall - some forgettable tracks I suppose but just as at home with with absolute ear worms and epic moments. 3 and a half. Fave track - Starlight (for nostalgia’s sake)
Van Morrison
4/5
Some really terrific songs here, just a shame they’re all by Van Morrison.
Had trouble deciding what to rate this album. The summery, nostalgic songs sprinkled with fanfares are boppy and make for some very enjoyable listening, and there are some classics in the first half of the album that are likely somewhere in my top ever played tracks on Spotify. The other half of the tunes I find kind of tedious and are overshadowed a bit by how much of a knob Van Morrison is. And I never really want to hear the title track ever again.
So I’m landing this somewhere between three-and-a-half and four stars if that’s allowed. Favourite track is Caravan.
David Bowie
5/5
Always electric, a full listening experience from beginning to end, and never appreciated enough as one of Bowie’s best albums. Great flow from track to track with some of his most powerful vocal performances; this sits just behind ‘Low’ in the Berlin trilogy but still second place in what is my favourite Bowie era.
Favourite track is Heroes.
2/5
Thought I’d already submitted my review but anyway - still have not managed to be won over by U2 here. Just seems rather uninteresting music compared to everything else coming out around the mid/late 80s.
The Americana theme is intriguing but not enough to pull me into those samey syncopated guitar rhythms. Maybe the big hits are overplayed on classic radio or something else but this just didn’t tickle me. Fave track - One Tree Hill
Nanci Griffith
2/5
At long last a record by a woman - I can’t say I actually connected all that much with this one. Some alright country sounds but nothing all that special. And some cute lyrical storytelling but a bit too syrupy for me. Two and a half stars for this one - hopefully some more albums to come that break the pattern of men with guitars. Favourite track was Fly By Night.
Dirty Projectors
3/5
Some really unique stylings in the indie genre which makes for some really bubbly and fun listening. It is a style that can grow a bit tiresome and sometimes be challenging - I’m not sure if in a good or bad way. Indie music from this period has sometimes aged pretty badly (at least in my head) but I think there’s still some interesting stuff here
I like this album overall and think there are a couple bangers for sure. A solid three-and-a-half; I kept tossing back and forth whether to round up or down and gonna just go with this. Shoutout to Stillness is the Move, but favourite track here was No Intention.
The Avalanches
5/5
This is an all-timer. I first heard this record when I was about 13 years old and fully thought I was going to make music exactly like this when I grew up.
This album appreciates with age; I love it more than I did when I first heard it - second-to-none production in a style that still feels fresh. Gold standard mixing and exact flow between tracks that just also happens to be super fun to listen to and makes you feel like dancing or bobbing your head along at the very least.
It’s a perfect summer afternoon. 5 stars - one of the great Australian albums. Fave track is Electricity.
Aretha Franklin
4/5
Hard not to be engaged and entertained with this collection of tracks - a mixture of classics and moving vocal performances that left me wanting more with the whole record coming in at under half an hour. An easy one to add to the rotation - 4-and-a-half stars. Fave track: Ain’t No Way
Spiritualized
4/5
First track made me pretty curious and the rest of the album left me pretty interested in this group. Really fascinating and eclectic blend of different sound styles all at play, with some more cool throwbacks to early punky stuff just as at home with spacey lullaby tracks. I'm not sure I was in the right mood to really get into the orchestrated maudlin break-up tracks, but some of the jammier tracks I don't want to write off just yet. Just such a big album to really get into in just 24 hours, so I'm leaving it as a light 4 for now with the intention of some further listening.
Fave tracks: Ladies and gentleman we are floating in space/ I Think I'm in Love
Jacques Brel
3/5
Wish that I spoke French so I could understand what sounded like quite dramatic and theatric storytelling in these songs. A really terrific voice that really pulls you into some tracks, and some fun instrumentation as well. Some of the more polka-ish ones I found hard to connect to and overall this record didn't excite me a huge amount. To be fair - I never would have heard this album if it didn't come up here. And apparently Scott Walker did many covers of this musician in English which I enjoy. I'm sure Jacques Brel is a seminal figure in Belgian and French cultural history, 3 stars for me on this listen.
Fave track: Le Play Pays
Gotan Project
2/5
Sacré bleu! Not sure I was missing out on a whole lot when I hadn’t heard electronica/tango fusion. Some beats would start off okay and pull me in but I would be just so put off by that melodica accordion sound, and some other production that almost sounded like it was lifted right out of the Garage Band sound library. Didn’t really gel with this one but can’t win them all. Fave track: Tríptico
Charles Mingus
5/5
His fingus make the stringus singus.
I can't really claim to have an extensive knowledge of experimental jazz, but I do know this is one of the big ones. This record really pulls you in and engages you throughout. Full of jarring left-turns and enough little pockets of repeated melodies teased about that the songs seem both familiar and surprising for its duration. A distinctly entertaining listening experience.
I'm a sucker for an extensive medley with multiple movements that take up an entire side of a disc so my favourite track for this record was 'Mode D - Trio and Group Dancers/ Mode E - Single Solos and Group Dance / Mode F - Group and Solo Dance'
Deep Purple
3/5
I felt like this album was really close to the kind of music I like but also really close to the kind of music I don’t like. For 1970 I’m sure it was a bit ahead of its time but didn’t really sound like anything all that special.
Fave track: child in time
Shack
2/5
Honestly, a pretty unremarkable album - I guess they needed some padding when creating the 1,001 albums list. Not the most offensive record I've ever listened to, but just seems fairly unoriginal and bland, especially for a Britpop record in 1999. Just kind of 'been there, done that'; but this sound and style has been done by much more interesting bands. Probably will fade away in my memory somewhere - two stars.
Fave track: I Want You
William Orbit
4/5
I kinda got into this one more than I thought I would. Considering it seemed pretty out of the blue just like the previous album, listening to this made for a pretty fun tram ride home - banging beats and cool vibes, happy I heard this one. Probably not the most incredible thing I’ll hear from this whole list but pretty groovy. Three and a half stars.
Fave track: The Story of Light
Queen
4/5
Boy that Rami Malek sure can sing!
This is actually my first listen through a Queen record (except for greatest hits). For some reason in my mind they were a band who never really had a great album, but I feel like this A Night At The Opera has earned its legacy though - several great tracks and vocal performances that speak for themselves. There’s a lot of fun and silliness throughout as well which I maybe wasn’t anticipating but is entirely charming. And despite being overplayed to death, it’s hard to sniff at Bohemian Rhapsody - hardly a controversial opinion I know but it’s hard to argue with how game changing it was while still remaining a thoroughly entertaining song. Four and a half stars.
Fave tracks: Love Of My Life / Bohemian Rhapsody
Megadeth
4/5
My first exploration into thrash metal or anything kind of resembling this side of the rock genre. For some reason in my head it never seemed that accessible for a newcomer but I got pretty into this. Some really fun listening and honestly really good songwriting. Left me curious to check out more of the band and style - 4 stars.
Fave track: Holy Wars…The Punishment Due
Michael Kiwanuka
3/5
A good album? Sure. Some enjoyable melodic and psychy guitar parts, and interesting blending of genres, but overall maybe not blown away by any particular section or the record as a whole. Decent songwriting and hard to rag on the record too hard but not anything I found to be that exceptional.
Fave track: Rolling
Curtis Mayfield
4/5
I think my mood depended on my listen of this. First listen through I was walking through the park on a sunny afternoon and really vibing with it. Next morning I re-listened in the car with some bad weather in some heavy traffic and found it a bit tedious at times. I was a fan of Mayfield before hearing of this but this particular record was new to me - there’s an undeniable groove you get hooked into, and he has pipes. A pretty to very good album here - Three and a half.
Fave track: Jesus
Van Halen
2/5
Let out an audible groan when I heard the opening chords of ‘Jump’ and things really only went downhill from there. This to me just seems like the weaker end of 80s rock - corny songwriting and the cheekiness on the album struggled to win me over. I don’t really enjoy Eddie Van Halen’s guitar solos - they just always seem random and without much backbone to them. The couple songs with a solid rhythm section and riffs (Hot For Teacher & Gone Girl Bad) for me are just overshadowed by all the lyrics they happened to put in the songs.
Not for me this record - one and a half stars here
Fave track (by default): Jump
Motörhead
4/5
By comparison to the previous album, this one hits it for six. The opener is (for better or worse) by leaps and bounds the stand out track - energetic and head-banging stupid shit that was always kind-of timeless. I feel like it's almost as if that song always existed, and everyone in the genre ever since has been trying to replicate it. I've heard so many band at the Tote and Retreat front bars that would love to have come up with half the songs on this record.
Not every track is a knockout, but I'm not too fussed. As cheesy and shallow (and kinda weird) a lot of the lyricism is on this record, it's much easier to stomach than the other shit that came yesterday (i.e. Panama). There's a lot to like on this record, and I feel forgiving of the usual critical drawbacks of the genre. I had fun and thought this was kind of a cracker in a style I haven't much dived into before.
A decent four.
Fave track: Ace of Spades
Neil Young
5/5
I knew about the tragic backstory to this album but had never heard it before. Wasn't sure how I'd respond to this but through the last half of the album in particular I really enjoyed it. A number of lines and verses really rocked me - simple but moving lyricism.
Four and a half. Fave track - Tired Eyes
Public Enemy
5/5
On the pulse and high temperature - yeah boy!
Explosive and dense lyrics from Chuck D in one of the greatest rap performances of all time. Bold social messages through genius diction, pertinent sampling, and a dynamic energy that makes for an entertaining listen.
A benchmark for the genre and a through-and-through classic album.
Fave track - Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos
Grateful Dead
3/5
I would describe myself as a fan of the Grateful Dead generally. They have some flawless albums, but they also have some duds - for me this one sits somewhere in the middle. Plenty of appealing musicianship throughout and good vocals, but even I have my limits with their jams. Listening to this did prompt me to go back and revisit to some of my other favourite live stuff they recorded.
Fave track: St Stephen
The Monkees
2/5
Yeah, I dunno. The Monkees never seemed impressing, and for sure this album just seems a bad knock off of their contemporaries; only a few years too late for whatever sound they were trying for. Not all that interested in this one.
Fave track: Shades of Gray
Goldfrapp
3/5
A pleasant listen - it did feel like it fizzled out a bit and never lived up to anything extraordinary, but still had a good time playing this in the car. Good vibes.
Fave track - Happiness
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
Thought it was pretty pretty good. Thought I'd maybe be sick of hearing Neil twice in a week; but surprise surprise, I liked it.
Spot-on garage guitar met with sound vocal harmonies make me feel happy. Probably not Young's lyrical genius that give me chills on other records (in fact Father John is maybe a skip), but still a damn good listen. I reckon they had more fun recording this one than they did Tonight's The Night, and that brought a smile to my face. I did want to move out to the country a little bit after listening to this.
Would be real nice to have a ranch that your friends would come and visit.
Maybe you'd play some songs together in the barn.
Will be keeping my eye out for this one in the record stores. Fave song was White Line.
Janis Joplin
4/5
Such an impassioned performance from Joplin in a concise and engaging selection of tracks. Was a fun listen and had a lot of soul.
A light four for this one.
Fave track: Cry Baby
Ride
4/5
Happy listening to this album again. I don’t mean to be blow it out of proportion as one of the very top-tier 90s records but I kinda love it even for Vapour Trail alone. I really get pulled in by the textured guitars and dreamy vocals. Maybe some stuff in here a bit derivative by some of your bigger 70s and 80s alt bands, and the runtime can be testing, but still a good one in my books. A solid addition to the genre, and a perfect three and a halfer for me.
Fave track: Vapour Trail / Today
Deep Purple
3/5
Another pretty enjoyable record here from Deep Purple. Though it's not exactly my rhythm I can understand the legacy this band and album have earned. Towards the end of the album in particular it was fun to really hear them not take things too seriously and just connect lean into having a good time while playing music. Probably somewhere between and a 3 and a 3.5
Fave track by a country mile was Space Truckin'... I mean come on.
Tom Waits
5/5
This was a funny one for sure - hard to simplify my thoughts into a couple sentences.
To start, it's pretty challenging. I wouldn't say I'm a complete stranger to experimental rock and roll, but that doesn't mean that things can't be surprising or grating. This album kind of has this strange pattern of whacking you over the head with a frying pan, then immediately laying you onto a bed of feathers. I'll be unsettled by one song, then charmed by the next.
The instrumentation and production is pretty enjoyable regardless of anything else. Some of the heavy percussive/dirty guitar/melodic bass line combinations are impossible to not enjoy. And some of the slower piano ballads can be fairly moving.
The beat poetry's content I sometimes found off-putting (and if I'm taking points off, it's here) but ultimately enjoyed its rhythm and griminess more than I condemned its shortcomings.
Maybe this is one of those ones that comes down to when/where/how you listen to it. First casual listen I thought maybe I'd rate this pretty low down - a light three or even less. But the more I listen to it I see it more like an arthouse film, and it's pretty perfectly beated out. This might be crap, but I think it's probably genius.
Four and a half.
Fave track is Town With No Cheer
Guns N' Roses
2/5
There’s such a legacy behind this album - commendable as a debut, and for a record to have so many hit singles packed in there only happens once in a blue moon.
Can’t completely agree with this one though. The songwriting does seem corny and despite some skilful playing, that guitar sound I find kind of annoying. Maybe this is another version of all the hits being overplayed that I couldn’t fully be captured by them on this listen.
Welcome to the Jungle is kind of a banger, even just for ‘shanananananananana’.
Two and a half overall.
The Replacements
5/5
Love this album - a great collection of tracks in a style which is probably one I most find myself gravitating towards.
A great range of sounds here, and the back and forth between the light jangly bops, the slower ballads, and the loud garage numbers make for a dynamic listen throughout that doesn't get tired or dull. The somewhat spent yet impassioned vocals are also a charm for me.
There's a really effective way of depicting some of the joys and struggles of growing up without dipping into cliche - the whole essence of this album just seems like a considered but snarky reflection at rock and roll as it used to be projected in the decades before them (take either the borrowed Beatles album title or the punky spin on a KISS song). This record seems to be both youthful and quite grown up at the same time.
Big fan of this one - an indie classic I'm completely here for.
Four and a half.
Fave track: Androgynous
4/5
What a treat - so easy to enjoy the punchy and unique stylings and fun instrumentation.
Seems completely original and innovative compared to some of the other rock and post-punk outfits of the time.
Weird and a total joy.
Fave track: Come Back Jonee
Keith Jarrett
4/5
Happy to come across some more records I hadn't really had a deep dive into before - had this on my radar before but never found an opportunity to sit with it and give it a proper listen.
Such precision playing and creativity beyond comprehension to construct an hour long improvisation like this. It's easy to get a bit lost in the sound and have it become background noise, and there are those moments of laughter or cheering or groaning that snaps you back into reality and makes you remember this guy is playing live and everything is right off the dome.
Overall, I'm not sure it blows me away in the same way some of the other jazz entries have, but still a great listen. Three and a half.
Fave track: Part II
Pink Floyd
5/5
Jesus Christ, where to begin?
The absolute stronghold this band had on me as a 15 year old is pretty gargantuan.
I feel like for me (and likely a lot of other people), this is one of those records where you first understand that an album could be more than just a collection of good songs, but an entire piece to view as a whole. The first side of this record is difficult to fault - from the concepts laid down early in its intros to the sonic whiplash of the paranoid alarm clocks and most bananas guitar sounds in Time that send me right round the bend, (even if you find guitar solos ostentatious, this one is so tasty), to that earth shattering vocal solo by Clare Tolly on Great Gig - seamless transition throughout and so polished and so weird.
Side 2 I could maybe nitpick at, but honestly that’s all it is. Us and Them maybe crawls a bit towards the end of its runtime. Money is maybe cheesy and on the nose compared to some of their other work, but it’s still so hooky. That punchy time signature and the ringing of the cash registers brings it all home. And the remaining tracks may as well be blended into a single three-part movement that just just brings the whole project to an exciting and electric climax. The mixing and production throughout is hard to deny - this has got to be one of the best sounding records of the 70s, if not all time. Hope everyone that listens to this album does so through good quality headphones.
It has surely had its praises sung over the last 50 years (and if I’m being honest, I’m not sure it cracks my top 3 Floyd albums), but listening to this again was just insane and brought a huge smile to my face. Is it overhyped? Maybe. Is it still an absolute hum-dinger of a concept album? No doubt.
This was just as much a pleasure listening to it now as it was the first time a decade ago
I'm going the whole hog! 5 stars!
Fave track: Time
4/5
Enjoyed this more than I expected to - never thought this was a band I would fully gel with. I think partly that’s still true in terms of the cliches that come with proggy stuff, but I couldn’t help but bop and sing along on second listen.
Clearly very influential on a lot that came after - pretty fun listen. Three and a half.
Fave track: Close to the Edge
Creedence Clearwater Revival
4/5
Fogerty and CCR certainly forged and cemented their own sound coming out of the late 60s - whether that's to your taste or not probably changes from one person to the next. I do enjoy it though.
Fogerty's simple songwriting, raw and soulful vocals, and catchy melodic rock stylings on this record are maybe only bested here by 'Cosmo's Factory', another album I hope they've put on this list. It's maybe on the daggier end of things and a few tracks a bit samey, but it’s still solid.
Fave track: Lodi
Kate Bush
5/5
Wow - really got into this listen. There's a strong identity that's stamped onto the music here and it'd be difficult to find much other pop music that sounds like this.
Really enjoy Bush's dynamism in style, evocative dreamy (and often scary) narratives, and flow - particularly on the second half of this record.
Four and a half.
Fave track: And Dream Of Sheep
Sonic Youth
3/5
I might revisit this one another time when I can pay some more attention. I did enjoy the listen. The instrumentation on here was really interesting and rough - Moore is a pretty phenomenal guitarist and Gordon is her own sort of genius.
Sonic Youth were always a band I've been meaning to really get into, but have never engaged with it quite as much as I expect. Maybe overall this album didn't feel as complete as some I've heard in a similar style, and sometimes they maybe seem a little ~too~ angsty. Still benefited from hearing this, and has piqued my curiosity for what I imagine is another handful of albums from this band on this list.
Three and a half - Fave track: Starpower
4/5
Honestly, a great punk record - fun and punchy, really inviting character and chemistry behind both lead vocalists, and some of that Californian beachy sound cut in underneath some of the tracks was a pleasant addition. Some weird and off the wall lyrics as well which are funny and make for a more interesting listen each spin. Really glad to have come across this one.
Fave track: We're Desperate
George Michael
3/5
This felt like a good pop record - one that I imagine was a pivotal moment in Michael’s maturing as an artist. The album starts off pretty strong and maintains that for the first half of the record I’d say. He has a sweetness and attitude in his voice that is pretty easy to eat up, and the openness in both sexual and sentimental fare is a win for sure.
I felt it lost a bit of momentum in the second half. And honestly at times I felt like it drew a little too heavily on artists that inspired him (namely Prince), but overall very decent. Not sure how often I’ll be returning to this but still I’ll give it a three and a half.
Fave track: One More Try
Kraftwerk
5/5
Pretty stunning album - a cohesive and sonically inventive piece. Both the melodic highs and murky lows come together for a complete listen.
Those simple and robotic lyrics really make things fun - enjoyed this listen.
Happy to back the unsubstantiated rumour I heard about Kraftwerk headlining Meredith 2023. All aboard the hype-highspeed-continental-railcar
Four and a half. Fave track: The Hall of Mirrors
George Michael
3/5
Second George Michael records in 3 days - still lots of the same gravity and charm, but I feel this one follows a bit behind Faith in the overall canon.
Despite looking for other standout tracks here, I thought the hit was the only song that really brought things to another level, or was really particularly interesting. The more acoustic approach to a lot of the songs didn't resonate with me as much here as the heat and coherence of the previous album.
I will say, one of my favourite album artworks we've had so far.
Not a bad album, but as a change in direction as a follow up to the last album I'm not sure it's a step up.
Two and a half. Fave Track: Freedom! '90
The Notorious B.I.G.
2/5
This was a funny one to gather my thoughts around. Biggie has such a legacy and his skills are clear. Still felt kinda put off by quite a number of tracks and skits, and his reliance on discussing fairly misogynistic content.
Great production from Diddy and some staples of classic hip hop, but I couldn’t help but feel a lot of the record was overshadowed by some bars that have not aged well - honestly it’s surprising this aspect would have been well received at the time. Maybe I’m missing something.
Two and a half. Fave track: Juicy
Metallica
4/5
One of the strongest bookends of songs we’ve had - super strong opener and closer, and everything else in between just happens to be pretty enjoyable too. Some great production and chemistry here to land some energetic and politically aggressive headbangers.
I never knew I was secretly a fan of thrash metal.
Fave track: Battery
The Rolling Stones
4/5
First proper listen to a Stones record in full. Hate to just jump on a bandwagon of praise, but I did really really like this. Can’t decide whether side A or side B is better honestly - great songwriting throughout and have a sneaky feeling some tracks will continue to grow on me.
Four and a half. Fave track: Moonlight Mile
Pink Floyd
4/5
A classic, but I have to admit even as a Pink Floyd fan, I love this one a little less each listen.
The scope and personal narrative spread across the album is obviously impressive and I do love a lot of the songs on here. I also can’t help but feel like a little bit of the magic has been lost on me - the theatrics dip into the cornier side and are quite on the nose. And I can’t help feel that despite all these life factors compiling to Waters’ insulated and disconnected state, at the end of the day he’s probably just an asshole.
Some great production and at the end of the day still a remarkable album, but not my favourite Floyd by a long shot.
Three and a half. Fave track: Mother
Suzanne Vega
2/5
Vega can be a really good, if not great songwriter. She has penned some classics with some terrific production. I'm not totally convinced that this collection quite reaches the heights that she's capable of; possibly something within the realm of finding her feet on a debut album. Some of the songwriting and vocals here (which should be the highlight) feel a bit washed out by the kind of bland instrumentation and production. And outside of a couple standout moments, a lot of the tracks seem a bit forgettable.
Didn't hate it by any means, but probably won't be returning to it a lot. Maybe a harsh score but probably landing on a two and a half.
Fave track: Marlene On The Wall
Rush
4/5
I tried listening to Rush in high school and felt really opposed to their style and sound. I thought Geddy Lee’s voice was annoying and the proggy syncopation and time signatures were abrasive. I wrote them off as a band I would never really gel with.
I’m not sure what changed but this listen I think I finally get it. Of all the ‘best of prog’ we have seemingly been force fed over recent weeks, this one of my favourite listens.
There’s terrific production that gives an appropriate amount of spotlight to Peart’s drumming, and great flow from track to track that it somehow doesn’t grow tired. The back to back of XYZ into Limelight especially got its hooks into me.
Fully expected to be giving this a 3 star score or less but just can’t help but feel I will be putting this on quite a bit from now on. A strong four.
Fave track: Limelight
Tricky
3/5
A good album - maybe expected to connect with it a bit more than I did this listen. Some of the tracks seem to blend a bit and didn't seem to shine above a lot of the other Bristol trip hop stuff I have heard (which to be fair, is not heaps).
Still some banging tracks and one I think I'll return to and give another chance on another day.
Three and a half. Fave track: Hell Is Round The Corner
LCD Soundsystem
4/5
Terrific album; have been a fan of this band for years. A cool blend of classic structures and production borrowing from their 70s and 80s influences and fresher, futuristic sounds.
There are some all time classics on here - it’s really hard to come past a better back to back than Someone Great and All My Friends.
Four and a half.
Fave track: Someone Great
Bob Marley & The Wailers
3/5
Enjoyed this listen - there’s clear talent and chemistry between group members, and a true connection between themselves and the music. Whether reggae is something I’m realistically putting on more than every now and then is another thing.
Some bass lines (namely High Tide or Low Tide) do seem so effortlessly genius, and Marley’s voice can linger with you. No major qualms other than it being a style I don’t really have that heaps of a connection to.
Three and a half. Fave was High Tide and Low Tide
Devendra Banhart
2/5
This voice really annoyed me quite a lot. Some alright songwriting, but the sound of the guitar and the vocals I found pretty off putting. Probably not a bunch of standout tracks either. Didn’t connect with this much.
The Chemical Brothers
4/5
Solid beats and great production - packed with party bangers, and the more chilled tracks sprinkled in there got me good too.
Driving to work on a cold morning probably isn’t the setting for this, but I enjoyed the listen regardless and had a lot of fun. Maybe no track in particular elevating this to a really terrific record, but still a lot to like.
Three and a half. Fave track: Alive Alone
The Last Shadow Puppets
3/5
The picks for this list from the ‘00s continue to confuse me. I definitely didn’t hate this album. Didn’t love it either.
There’s some cool cinematic stylings through the record, that maybe sometimes borders on becoming a parody of itself, especially when it leans into some of Turner’s hammier lyrics. I’m not sure I hate that though.
I liked the listen, but it will confuse me if this album is on this list over any number of Arctic Monkeys albums from around the same time; each of which are probably just that bit more polished.
Fave track: The Meeting Place
Lauryn Hill
5/5
So dense and a total joy from beginning to end. Massive skill on top of precise production and some winners when it comes to the features. Conceptually bold and honest - a classic.
Four and a half. Fave track: Nothing Even Matters
Television
5/5
With this album a fresh style was forged from the straight up and down New York punk sound of the mid ‘70s. It’s hard to find many examples that better represent how instruments can communicate with each other to create a complete sound. Verlaine’s unique vocal stylings and songwriting paired with clean engineering make for a milestone in rock and roll, and a personal favourite of mine.
Fave track: Marquee Moon
Taylor Swift
3/5
The folklore/evermore era of Taylor's catalogue is, to no surprise, handily my favourite. Her more stripped back songwriting allows for her simple short stories to shine. You can hear the influence and collaboration of the Haim sisters all over this album (not just from the track they actually feature on), and that's always a win for me.
Missing some of the next level highlights from folklore that I think are some of her best tracks, and I'll be bummed if that album is omitted from this list in favour of evermore, but this is still a fairly solid record.
Three and a half. Fave track: ivy
Justice
4/5
At last an album from the ‘00s that has a bit more sense to be on this list - this record had a fair bit of impact on electronic dance music, and it has aged pretty well. It’s kind of refreshing to hear some really muddy beats mixed with some pop. The first half of the album is beated out pretty precisely, there’s a lot of flavour and range to keep things from getting dull.
Somewhere in the second half (I think somewhere between Tthhee Ppaarrttyy and DVNO) things get a little tiresome and the more anthemic EDM ones don’t resonate as well with me.
Still a solid blend of engineering and musical originality - 4 stars.
Fave track: Genesis
X-Ray Spex
3/5
Low effort review here but enjoyed the listen. It’s easy to be won over by Poly Styrene’s energy. Not sure all of the saxophone was needed as heavily as it was.
Three and a half. Fave track: Plastic Bag
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Snuck a brief listen in - Hendrix was someone I had never fully gravitated to before but had no major complaints from this spin. Soulful, rhythmic, groovy.
Not heaps of above the rest standouts but a couple tracks I’ll return to.
Three and a half. Fave track: Castles Made of Sand
Jimi Hendrix
4/5
Quite enjoyed yesterdays, and thought this was even better. Great flow between tracks, some all time classics, and second to none playing.
The more mellow and laid back tracks stuck with me more - a great listen to wake up to.
A strong four. Fave track: Hey Joe
Can
5/5
Banger. This is the best shit. It’s a ten
Fave track: Oh Yeah
Prefab Sprout
4/5
Discovered this album about a month ago and had been really enjoying it, was wondering in the back of my mind if it would show up on this list. Had never heard of it before and thought that despite not having a huge legacy, there was some really strong pop songwriting. Maybe I need to do some more reading on it, but this definitely feels like a solid and possibly under-sung piece of 80s indie pop.
Strong three and a half. Fave track: Faron Young
Robbie Williams
2/5
A couple good tracks washed out by a lot of crap ones. The boring production on this makes it a slog at times, and the key change at the end of Old Before I Die nearly made my brain pop like a balloon. Not great pop here for the most part.
Fave track: Let Me Entertain You
Snoop Dogg
3/5
Solid hip hop and classic production from Dre. Once again some of the skits grow a bit tiresome but still some great tracks in there.
Three and a half. Fave track: The Shiznit
Booker T. & The MG's
3/5
Some great sounds and genius playing - definitely one I can have floating around while I tidy my room or spend an afternoon cooking. Can understand the legacy of this one, though this sits at a strong 3 for me.
Fave track: Green Onions
3/5
Good grooves, soulful rhythms, I liked this listen. Something holding me back a little from fully launching myself into this but the title track was a certain banger.
Fave track: The World is a Ghetto
Chicago
2/5
Not great. Not so heinous that I bomb it with a 1 star rating, but fairly unremarkable album. Is it groovy? Sure. Is it lame as all hell? Kinda. The longer songs that would perhaps be the more interesting tracks turned into a bit of a chore at times. Some good percussion, but overall a snoozer for me.
Fave track: Listen
Coldplay
2/5
This score may be harsh, but I honest to god tried to go into this with an open mind. I don't want to be that person who immediately writes off this band, but after an attentive and engaged listen I came to the conclusion this album was, for the most part, very meh.
A couple tracks stood out, sure - some cool textures and strong lyricism from Martin, but the rest felt forgettable and bland.
Two and a half. Face track: High Speed
Steely Dan
4/5
Was wondering how long until a Steely Dan record would grace this generator. Probably my favourite band and a damn fine album from the group here.
A snappy collection of genre-fusing pop that displays some of the best playing and mixing, cynical lyrics, and odes to some of the band's musical (mainly jazz) heroes; through the borrowed bassline on Rikki Don't Lose That Number, tribute to Charlie Parker on Parker's band, or cover of Ellington's East St Louis Toodle-Oo. Solos on these tracks are cool and restrained, and operate as part of the songs rather than ostentatious flourishes.
All tracks slap pretty hard and all together come in at just under 35 minutes - the only gripe I'd have here are Fagen's vocals that are a little less polished and slightly wobblier than other records.
Four and a half. Fave track: Rikki Don't Lose That Number
Jimi Hendrix
3/5
Still lots of good here, but maybe felt a little more stretched out and a little less cohesive than his other couple albums we’ve had so far. The runtime probably pushed that envelope a bit, though there are some classics that remain a treat to listen to.
Three and a half. Fave track: Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
Alice Cooper
3/5
A corny album, but one that leans into the gimmick and theatricality enough that I still had a decent time with this listen. The edginess is probably a bit too forced at times (namely the final track), and there's not that much complexity to these fairly formulaic rock tracks, but it's pretty consistent from track to track and fairly agreeable for the most part. There's some fun instrumentation that pops up at the end of R*ped and Freezin', and the sincere ballad / rag Mary Ann was a sparkly refresher that reset things after a few samey kind of songs.
By no means a great album, there's plenty you could take issue with here. But, still some good old fashioned crummy rock and roll record I could groove with.
Fave track: No More Mr. Nice Guy
Cypress Hill
3/5
Solid record - lots of style and some great beats and samples.
Fave track: Psycobetabuckdown
Funkadelic
4/5
Impassioned playing, ambitious songwriting, and an undeniable groove. This one’s a classic.
Four and a half. Fave track: Hit It and Quit It
The Smiths
4/5
The Smiths can be a mixed bag, but for the most part made decent to great records. This was no outlier - one of their best albums with some unforgettable tracks. Good flow between tracks and solid playing and writing coming together in a short and sweet 36 minutes.
Fave track: Paint a Vulgar Picture
Radiohead
4/5
A great album here. Structurally and conceptually tight, a honing and advancement on their previous styles, and some classic tracks to boot.
I will admit I have a preference for a couple of their later albums, and there are a couple tracks that are not really near the band at the best, though these are mostly compensated for by others that are.
A decent to strong four. Fave tracks: Paranoid Android / Let Down
Aerosmith
1/5
Oh, I get it. It looks like the two trucks are fucking.
Parliament
4/5
Two of the best in the funk genre in short succession - George Clinton fans rejoice!
You know exactly what you're getting here - cosmic grooves and fresh hooks that stay in your brain for days after hearing them. Not close to Maggot Brain in terms of accomplishment, but still a lot of fun.
Three and a half. Fave track: Give Up The Funk
Holger Czukay
3/5
Some interesting and at times pretty entertaining experimentation here, but overall maybe a little lacklustre for me. If the opening track comes on at a party though it’ll be hard not to go mental.
Fave track: Cool in the Pool
Kanye West
4/5
Clear mixed feelings here - but I also doubt anyone is really ever going to read this.
So yeah, Kanye has damaged his legacy a fair amount by his own doing. He can get fucked. If he dropped a new album tomorrow, I'm not sure I'd listen.
This album is also very very good. It is very very good. I listened to this a lot in high school, and I liked it a lot then. And this listen was also really good.
So I don't know. I'll give this rating today based on just how I'm feeling about the spin I gave over the weekend, and maybe I'll change my mind later and go back and change it. Let's move on to the next one.
Fave track: Through The Wire
Massive Attack
3/5
Cool stylings and production - wasn't totally sold on it first listen but grew on me quite a bit the second time round.
Three and a half. Fave track: Hymn Of The Big Wheel
Lynyrd Skynyrd
2/5
Didn’t fully win me over this one. A fair bit of the same old stuff that didn’t grab me all that much, except for maybe Free Bird, which is by far the best track here.
Frank Sinatra
3/5
A fine listen - some clear charm and can easily whisk you away to some olden velvety bar. But all a little samey by today’s standards. Don’t really understand the crowd who are certain this is the best music of all time, but this was still pleasant.
Fave track: Deep In A Dream
Can
4/5
Another banger - weird and spacey, dark and fluid. A pleasure to listen to, and a welcome addition to this list.
Albums like this seem to be the whole purpose of starting this project.
Four and a half. Fave track: Moonshake
Arcade Fire
3/5
This one grew on me quite a bit. Always found this group a little overrated or out of my taste but this honestly was pretty good. Great flow and solid songwriting. Was nearly giving this a four but for now will mark down. Maybe will change my mind on more listens.
Three and a half. Fave track: Modern Man
OutKast
5/5
Even while nitpicking it’s hard to find too many faults in this record. Brilliant flow, production, and chemistry.
Huge achievement and just shows how these two are just the best of the best.
Four and a half. Fave track: B.O.B.
Nine Inch Nails
4/5
Textured, dynamic, and magnetic.
An annoying morning at work made me a little angry so this actually was a perfect soundtrack for my energy. A little overly angsty at times to be taken totally seriously, but Reznor is clearly sits at the top when it comes to sharpening a style and producing a well engineered sonic cacophony.
Fave track: Eraser
Randy Newman
2/5
Bold and commendable songwriting, but maybe not in a style I fully click with. Some fun in there too, but might not be putting this on all the time.
Two and a half. Fave track: Kingfish
Portishead
4/5
Heaps to enjoy here - interesting style and strong production. A good one.
Three and a half. Fave track: Machine Gun
Bob Dylan
5/5
A triumph of Dylan’s songwriting, exhibiting clever and poignant tracks one after another that continue to grow on me to this day.
Fave track: Visions of Johanna
Elliott Smith
4/5
Crushing, and painfully restrained - you can hear the influence this record has had on so many seminal indie albums in the decades since its release. A sometimes aching but beautiful listen.
Four and a half. Fave track: Say Yes
Billie Holiday
3/5
Easy to be charmed by Lady Day - a lot of soul and sadness through her singing. The collection of songs all together I’m not sure I found all that compelling, and maybe a bit samey. But still a new and interesting listen for me.
Two and a half. Fave track: Violets for Your Furs
The Pogues
2/5
Probably one of those ones I can acknowledge and respect the following this record has, but I don’t think it was made for someone like me. There’s obvious brilliance there, but probably not one I’ll be chucking on. Failed to connect a lot this listen.
Two and a half. Fave track: Dirty Old Town
808 State
3/5
Fun and infectious, but I was not really in the mood to listen to this. I can acknowledge that this is something new to me, and that is a big part of doing this whole project, but this feels like another album that I probably could have died without listening to just fine.
Two and a half. Fave track: Pacific 202
Beck
3/5
Honestly, solid songwriting and really good production. Don't really have too many specific complaints overall, but didn't strike me down like a bolt of lightning. Will maybe return to it another time and see if it sticks a bit better.
Three and a half. Fave track: End Of The Day
Miles Davis
4/5
A monument of an album featuring a who's who of jazz musicians. Simply a pleasure and a joy to listen through. Wonderfully dynamic and polished playing, and melodies that stick in your skin.
Four and a half. Fave track: Blue in Green
2/5
MC5 was never a band I could really get that into - a bit boring for me. And live jam albums can really get a bit tiresome at times. Just not my bag.
Fave track: Borderline
The Flaming Lips
4/5
An enigmatic and unique band at essentially the top of their game. There's heaps to like here - the album starts off with a bang with fresh and punchy pop songs. Sometimes Coyne's voice isn't all that pretty, and some songs probably aren't as strong as others, but still this is a solid album and easy to put on again.
Three and a half. Fave track: A Spoonful Weighs a Ton
The Bees
2/5
Failed to do much to win me over - didn't feel all that compelling and sometimes a bit too sweet for my tastes. There can be times where white guys infusing reggae or ska into their rock band can produce an interesting or good sound, but this just seemed cringey to me.
Fave track: Zia
Aerosmith
3/5
Certainly an improvement on 'Pump', this one I found myself getting into a bit more. Still quite a fair bit of style I don't fully gel with, and there's some fairly cringeworthy lyricism, but there were some good catchy moments in here and I found myself pleasantly surprised by most of the album.
A two and a half. Fave track: Sweet Emotion
Violent Femmes
3/5
Lots of style and charm, some fun percussion and textured guitars, and seems like it would have been a fairly fresh sounds for the time of its release.
Probably sits somewhere in the middle for me - wasn’t something I connected to heaps but still pretty decent.
Fave track: Kiss Off
The Offspring
3/5
Kind of a nostalgia listen, which makes up for a lot, considering this is actually kind of a lame punk record.
Those crunchy guitars and simple songwriting aren’t much that would bring me back over and over, and it’s funny to compare this to a lot of other groundbreaking alt-rock from the mid 90s.
But it’s still so much fun. Can picture my older brother playing some of these songs to a smaller sized me with Oakley sunglasses, spiked hair, and a Hawaiian shirt.
Three and a half. Fave track: Come Out and Play
Manic Street Preachers
2/5
One of the more boring albums we’ve had so far. Again, it’s records like that this start to give me a better image of the person who wrote this list, and how plain their taste in music is. In what world do I have to listen to this before I die?
Fine vocals, bland mixing, underwritten lyrics. Not one that landed for me.
One and a half. Fave track: Further Away
Manic Street Preachers
2/5
Some more aggressive energy lyrically and instrumentally than the last album, but still overall not one I think is that red hot. Maybe for codgers who grew up eating up Britpop in all its shapes and forms this would fit your bill as a must-hear, but I'm beginning to realise there's only a couple of acts from the genre I click with.
Again, there's some interesting stuff with some time signatures, cohesion between tracks, some grittier moments, and some better sounding guitars and drums, but for me at the end of the day it's an album of fairly forgettable tracks. I hate that my Spotify algorithm with now be hand-feeding me Manic Street Preachers in my daily mixes for the foreseeable future.
Two and a half. Fave track: 4st 7lb
Paul Simon
3/5
I've listened to this album plenty of times before, and it was interesting to return to it this weekend. Simon definitely has some ability in his DNA to on occasion write a pearl of pop song, and other times I find him quite unbearable. This album maybe sits in that gulch between the ambitious but simple sounds of his not too distant past - in the wake of Bridge Over Troubled Water where he hit the nail on the head, and his future records that get a little too twee at times for my taste.
There's a great flow on this album, and it offers a wide range of sounds to engage with. Not everything here grabs me as much on repeat; some tracks seem to be missing an edge or freshness, and some songs are at this point just annoying (Me and Julio had to be skipped on this listen).
It's a fairly good album, and on another day could rate it higher. Probably some tracks that could benefit from Art Garfunkel's sensibilities, though maybe I'm missing the point by comparing this album to his work in the duo. Plus, it's hard to deny tracks like Run That Body Down, which is the standout for me by a mile.
Three and a half.
The Police
3/5
Once again, Sting’s vocals don’t really click with me, as with most of the Police’s style overall. There were a couple standout tracks that felt grittier and gave some edge to the record, and in the context of the album Every Breath You Take works and flows really well. Great instrumentation and production too, which was expected.
Probably not a band I’m going to have on out of my own choice, but didn’t hate this one by any means.
Three stars. Fave track: Mother
Black Flag
3/5
High octane and full of energy, with some good humour and irreverence to boot. Didn't grab me heaps the first time, but by the second listen definitely thought it could be one that enters my rotation.
Three and a half. Fave track: TV Party
Sister Sledge
3/5
Surprised with how many classics appear on this album. Sometimes I'm not sure if disco always wins me over entirely, but there was heaps to enjoy here. The dancier songs stood out far more than the slower tracks, but that's ok.
Fave track: Lost in Music
Dr. Octagon
2/5
I think this will be kind of forgettable for me. Aside from the kind of gross skits here and there, I didn’t find these tracks to be that compelling. There are some decent beats in moments and some talent behind some bars, but I was a bit put off early on and never won back.
Fave track: Bear Witness
Alanis Morissette
3/5
Full of 90s attitude and hooky rock and roll sarcasm, there's a lot to fall in love with. Would have been sick to be in high school when this came out. Solid songwriting and a huge legacy too - I'm not sure all of them land for me, maybe there's some that get overplayed on the radio.
Three and a half. Fave track: Hand In My Pocket
Elvis Presley
3/5
Yeah look was never going to be knocked down by this. I get why this is on the list way more than a lot of other albums we’ve had recently, but also at the end of the day I don’t think it’s all that amazing. There’s that voice and attitude, but ultimately these tracks were probably done better by the black artists who wrote them.
Not sure if people think this is genuinely a great album, or just recognise its legacy as a piece of culture. Happy to leave it as that, I guess.
Fave track: Blue Moon
JAY Z
4/5
A great album and huge achievement in hip hop. Some of the best beats from the 2000s and Jay at the top of his game. Layered lyricism and verses that unfold more each listen, with some singalong hits throughout as well.
Just a banger. Four and a half. Fave track: Never Change
Death In Vegas
2/5
Found this pretty underwhelming - at best it's a not all that great imitation of better 90s bands with more interesting sounds. Not all that compelling or fresh I suppose, maybe just mediocre rather than bad.
Fave track: Lever Street
Siouxsie And The Banshees
4/5
Lots of fun here - easy to be pulled in by Siouxsie’s energy, as well as a great playing and songwriting. Can hear so much influence this band has had on a lot of Melbourne bands in particular. Really solid album, glad to have discovered this one.
Fave track: Into The Light
Jeff Buckley
3/5
I know a lot of people swear by this album as a genuine 10 out of 10, but it never really clicked all that much with me. Seems a little too self important at times, or maybe I just think that about the people who cover these songs. There’s talent there without a doubt, but nothing here fully knocks me down as much as I expect it to.
Fave track: Last Goodbye
The White Stripes
4/5
Pretty solid rock album. Really good chemistry as usual when it comes to this band, and they deliver another collection of bopping and bluesy songs to chuck on a drive or while studying.
Strong three and a half. Fave track: My Doorbell
Talvin Singh
2/5
Fairly average album. Production fine if not a bit dated, and the inclusion of some beats or instruments seemed inorganic. Got into some tracks more than others, and probably won’t put it on again anytime soon.
Two and a half. Fave track: Eclipse
The Divine Comedy
2/5
Sounds like an original cast recording of a jukebox musical of Scott Walker unreleased B-sides.
Thanks to Maeve for helping me write that. Fave track: In Pursuit of Happiness
My Bloody Valentine
4/5
What I needed to hear this morning - could sink my teeth into this a bit. The crunch on their guitars really melted over me this listen. Had only ever listened to Loveless and had never heard of this album til now, but it's one I'm glad to have discovered.
Fave track: Sueisfine
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3/5
Started off with a bang and had a few decent tracks throughout. Nothing after the first two tracks that really reached the heights they set but still mostly good.
Three and a half. Fave track: Zero
Iron Maiden
4/5
Was tossing between a three and a four, but honestly just had a lot of fun listening to this in the car. Melodic, theatrical, well engineered, a bit silly. Never had delved much at all into this band and I can see the appeal - I’m sure there’ll be other records of theirs to show up so I’m sure they’ll also be fairly fun as well.
Three and a half. Fave track: Phantom of the Opera
The Killers
3/5
First half of this is just laced with the good stuff; hits that are lame as hell but still hold up. Overplay aside, there are some certified gems here. Second half lets this all down a bit, with kind of boring or forgettable or just kind of shit tracks. The Killers are such an interesting band. I think they have gone through waves of being considered cool, to lame, to cool again. This album is pretty imperfect but I think will only grow in its popularity among music purists as time goes on. It's simple, and it wears its influences of Floyd, Springsteen, and Queen right there for you.
I can't explain why my favourite part of the whole album is that stupid goddamn 'I got soul but I'm not a soldier' chant... It's so stupid! But it's also amazing! It makes no sense! But it's got me singing along!
A strong three stars. Fave track: All These Things That I've Done
Janelle Monáe
3/5
Lots to enjoy here, even if perhaps stretched a bit thin by the end. Monae delivers some great vocal performances, but the runtime by the end for me didn’t quite have it all there for every track.
Three and a half. Fave track: Cold War
Gorillaz
4/5
This one brought me way back to being a little kid again and my brother playing me the music he was into. Though the songwriting, production, and features continued to grow and shine more as the albums went on, this is still a damn solid debut. Slick and quirky, with some delicious verses from Del.
Light four for this one. Fave track: 19-2000
Dusty Springfield
4/5
Loved this listen - Dusty is a genuine pop and soul superstar and this record plays pretty close to just being a greatest hits collection. In fairness, given that these are almost all covers I guess it's not all that original of an album, and far from her greatest success (Dusty in Memphis). Not too many misses here, will happily put this one on again and again.
Three and a half. Fave track: Wishin' and Hopin'
Weather Report
4/5
Birdland is forever a classic, and depending on your mood the rest of the album totally holds up. Some of the best jazz playing and inter-instrumental dialogue that you’ll hear between Pastorius and Zawinul. This is already a go to for records to play while milling about the house on the weekend, and will continue to do so.
Fave track without a doubt is Birdland
The National
4/5
Wouldn’t be sure how I’d respond to this album. Loved it along with the rest of this band’s records when I was in high school, but also feel like their music has shifted outside of where my taste aligns slightly, and their last couple records haven’t really been that good at all.
That being said, I do think this album is The National at their best. Evocative and heartfelt songwriting on tracks that to me have aged better than similar records of this era and style. Slightly a nostalgia listen but this for the most part definitely holds up.
Strong three and a half. Fave track: Bloodbuzz Ohio
Bill Evans Trio
4/5
Simply one of the best to ever tickle the ivories and playing in such captivating form. A showcase of pure jazz talent.
Fave track: Alice in Wonderland
Neil Young
5/5
Good chance this is my favourite Neil Young album. Seamless flow between catchy toe tappers to crushing ballads. In equal parts makes me want to dance around and drive into a river. I have no controversial takes on this one - I think it's a wonder of a record. Glad to listen to it again.
Four and a half. Fave track: Ambulance Blues
Amy Winehouse
3/5
A classic for this decade and deserves to be remembered as it is. Some great instrumental moments and in particular amazing drumming, and Winehouse’s talent is obvious. For me though, aside from a couple tracks that do some heavy lifting, this is a style I never fully attached to.
Fun listen. Fave track: Back To Black
Saint Etienne
4/5
Classic fresh funky dance music perfect for a summer day. Basslines and drums that sound so so good and you can sink deep into. A winner for sure.
Fave track: Nothing Can Stop Us
The Doors
3/5
Not sure I was ever a die hard for The Doors. There's a lot of charm and style, but was never certain about the actual music. I think this lands somewhere in the good but not amazing category for me. I enjoyed the listen, quite a bit, but still maybe I'm missing something.
Three and a half. Fave track: Riders on the Storm
Scott Walker
3/5
Walker is such a unique and interesting musical presence - his voice alone is disarming and compelling, and he brings a theatric flair to pop that is hard to find anywhere else. This is a really solid album, though while still relying on covers of contemporaries (including a few by our friend Jacques Brel), his songwriting isn’t allowed as much room to shine as his next couple records that can really strike you down. I hope at least one out of ‘Scott 3’ or ‘Scott 4’ make this list as well, as they deserve the same recognition as this album.
Three and a half. Fave track: Jackie
Pixies
4/5
A stunner of a record and improves each time I hear it. Crunchy and punchy guitars, scary and funny lyrics, and a strange dynamism and blend of contrasting noises that nobody does better.
Four and a half. Fave track: Gigantic
Fugees
4/5
Great record start to finish. Hill shining again with captivating flow and vocal performances. Fresh beats and fun sampling throughout.
Fave track: Zealots
fIREHOSE
2/5
Lots of energy and fun playing, but failed to really grab me in a hugely meaningful way. Was fine, and don't necessarily think it was bad in any way, just didn't quite scratch an itch like a lot of other rock from the late 80s does.
Two and a half. Fave track: Time With You
Caetano Veloso
3/5
Pretty fun, especially the tracks with Gal Costa. Could imagine this playing over a nice summer evening while enjoying a cool drink with some friends. Not sure anything in particular I think is all time, but still a good listen.
Fave track: Clara
R.E.M.
4/5
This is a banger. A pioneering record in a genre that is probably closest to what I listen to most. Great instrumentation; I'm in love in particular with the textures and melodies of the guitars on this album. R.E.M. can be pretty easy to shit on, but this album holds up so well - probably my favourite of theirs.
Four and a half. Fave track: Pilgrimage
T. Rex
5/5
A classic among classics - a tight and triumphant collection of songs that left its influence on countless bands to come. Simple and effective songwriting and a perfect feat of engineering. Bolan just nailed it here - just sleazy enough while keeping it fresh and providing some of the most memorable melodies in rock and roll.
Fave track: Life's A Gas
Depeche Mode
3/5
A lot of things to like on this record for me - an eeriness and unsettling tone that almost felt like out of a camp horror soundtrack at times, and some interesting vocals. I felt maybe some songs were a bit too one note, and that bled across quite a few of the tracks. Maybe on another day could find myself more invested in this, but kind of felt something was holding me back.
Two and a half. Fave track: Nothing
The Electric Prunes
2/5
Started off hot, but fell pretty flat for the rest of the album. Mostly fairly standard late 60s psych rock that got a bit boring. Hints of Rolling Stones or The Lovin’ Spoonful here or there, but not really as captivating as the vocalisation and instrumentations of those acts. All just got a little too much for me in its silliness. But I did love the opening track!
Fave track: I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)
Daft Punk
4/5
Such a solid album here - you enter a kind of fugue state at times listening to this, there’s such a strong identity and presence in these tracks that you can’t help but move your body to. Sounds so good through the right speakers, too.
Four and a half. Fave track: Phoenix
Dolly Parton
3/5
There’s something very appealing about classic country music - it’s simple in its narratives and displays unpretentious but polished vocals and instrumentation. This is a really good example of that. It’s a solid collection of songs sung by a wonder of a performer. And I near always enjoy hearing lap-steel guitar on a track. While missing some of the poetry and darkness that can be found in the genre, this still is not too bad.
Fave track: Here I Am
Elliott Smith
3/5
First listen of this I really got into, and the second listen found myself wishing there was more of what we heard on the previous album. The poppier stylings began to grow tired on me ever so slightly. Still enjoyed this album, and may potentially get some future spins, but didn’t quite cut the mustard as much for me this time.
Three and a half. Fave track: Colorbars
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
4/5
An innovative breakthrough and produced some all time classic riffs and sounds. Quite a delightful record, and easy to enjoy.
Three and a half. Fave track: Blue Rondo a la Turk
Jeff Beck
2/5
It's all a little too safe. Like much of Clapton's work, I never connected much with Jeff Beck. One of those figures that is technically great, and not without some great music in their catalogue along the way, but somehow for the most part still find a bit flavourless.
Overall, this record doesn’t feel complete. It feels a little thrown together, and I got a bit exhausted with the on-end jam tracks one after another. I couldn't help but feel like there are other albums from this period that are just as jammy, but provide more of a voice to other instruments to create a whole piece rather that one feels a little more than just a sum of parts. Maybe it's his vocals, I'm not sure I've figured it out. Some deep searching songs here for sure, but nothing dangerous; nothing monstrous.
Two and a half. Fave track: Beck’s Bolero
Guided By Voices
3/5
Lots of little moments that I’d love, but not many tracks that I thought were amazing, and overall felt just fine rather than a mind blowing record. I know this band has a lot of records, so if this is their best I’m not sure they’ll be my absolutely favourite.
Two and a half. Fave track: My Son Cool
Beth Orton
3/5
Didn't connect heaps with this record. There are moments that nearly reel me in with some interesting beats or rhythms, but did find this pretty bland for the most part. Orton has a great voice, and the sincerity of her tone and lyric are appealing, but I don't think this will be one I'll be putting on all that much.
Two and a half. Fave track: Central Reservation
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Enjoyed this listen - maybe not as much as other Stones records I've listened to, but still had a pretty good time. Great playing and character, even if some of the blues tracks all begin to sound a little bit samey.
This is maybe a light three and a half for me. Fave track: Street Fighting Man
Nick Drake
4/5
Listening to this album right after finishing listening to Javelin by Sufjan Stevens is some sort of cruel and terrific fate.
This is the most I've contemplated over pieces of music for a while. Intoxicating guitar plucking and lingering poetry over whispery vocals that really left me awed. Drake captures an intimacy and emotional capacity that few have achieved in quite the same way. Every track stands individually as true and beautiful.
A great album! Four and a half. Fave track: Pink Moon
Ash
3/5
Kind of expected to hate this, ready to write up a scathing review, but there are a couple songs that for sure got a couple repeat listens. Starts off pretty strong, then there are some stragglers in there too, and honestly not a lot of depth all round with this record.
But I gotta say, there are some tracks that are pretty damn fun, and it certainly fits in well with the punk-pop resurgence that really is the flavour going round lately with contemporary music, and I'm enjoying quite a lot.
Yeah, it's generic and mostly forgettable, but I can't write this one off. I might have on another day reduced this to a record that I didn't need to hear before I died, but I'm actually glad I have.
It's just like Bandwangonesque, only not as good.
Fave track: Goldfinger
Manu Chao
2/5
Started off thinking this was interesting and by the end was pretty sure this was just muzak. Couldn’t get through Bongo Bong without laughing.
One and a half. Fave track: Clandestino
Morrissey
2/5
What’s the difference between a Smiths record and a Morrissey record? Whether it’s any good or not.
But yeah, seriously thought this was so dribbly and uninteresting compared to what I know and like from The Smiths. Obviously a solo career is a departure from the sounds of the original band, but just did not think any of this sounded particularly good.
Fave track: The National Front Disco
The Velvet Underground
4/5
Undeniable and original - unlike anything else from the 60s, they invented a sound that would reign over rock and roll for the next few decades.
A great blending of genres and ambitious songwriting make this album a really great one to come back to.
Four and a half. Fave track: Heroin
John Coltrane
5/5
Finally got around to listening to this - I knew it would demand proper attention and had never found myself in the mood to tackle an album with such a large legacy.
Was just thrilled by the listen - incredible performances that are compelling and deep. A classic that has earned its status.
Four and a half. Fave track: Pt. IV - Psalm
Marvin Gaye
5/5
Flawless - one of the most powerful and brilliant records ever.
Fave track: Inner City Blues
The Temptations
3/5
A great groove and a fun listen - some tracks maybe stood out more than others on this spin, but might circle back to it another day.
Three and a half. Fave track: Papa Was a Rolling Stone
Syd Barrett
2/5
I suppose influential to a pretty phenomenal degree, but I can't help but feel that Syd Barrett is a pretty overrated figure. This album feels a little too thrown together and incohesive to leave me convinced that it's all part of its charm. There were moments I did enjoy here, but really they were few and far between.
Two and a half. Fave track: Octopus
David Bowie
4/5
Chilling album - beautiful and haunting. Continues to prove itself more and more as one of the better projects to come out of the previous decade.
Four and a half. Fave track: Lazarus
The Stone Roses
5/5
2016 for me was listening to this album on repeat. It's a terrific record full to the brim with catchy and melodic power pop. As far as debut albums go, it really doesn't get much better than this.
Four and a half. Fave track: I Am The Resurrection
The Stooges
3/5
Fun and energetic, easy to enjoy this. Not sure I'll be playing it over and over again, but a solid album.
Three and a half. Fave track: Search and Destroy
Flamin' Groovies
3/5
A necessary album to hear before I die? Maybe not. Still good humoured and carefree catchy stuff - decent fun for a Friday afternoon.
Two and a half. Fave track: Evil Hearted Ava
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades
3/5
Good fun - looking out the window at the sunshine falling on the trees in front of a blue sky seems fitting for this soundtrack to the morning.
Three and a half. Fave track: Pedro Navaja
The Go-Go's
4/5
Such a fun one - this band just seems like one of the coolest ever and I’m on board. Catchy, a little punky, and gives a lot of replay value.
Three and a half. Fave track: How Much More
The Cure
5/5
Loved this listen - had to put it on a few times in a row to get my head around it. Lots of depth and capture of a particular sound that seems top of its style.
Heartbreaking lyricism and vocals from Smith - this one will happily land in my rotation.
Four and a half. Fave track: Prayers For Rain
The Triffids
4/5
Wow - never expected an album like this to make this list; what is probably not even the most popular album from an Australian band that not often enough are mentioned in the discussion of the greats from this country. I'm surprised and delighted to see Calenture on this list and to listen to it again.
David McComb is in my mind one of the best songwriters and voices to ever come out of Australia - there are some beautiful songs here, and this entry has for the first time in a while made me really excited for what other records will appear, both from this band and hopefully other 80s Aussie alternative acts that are some of my all time favourites.
Fave track: Bury Me Deep In Love
Roxy Music
3/5
Definitely enjoyed some moments more than others, but there was some cool and weird sounds on here. Something about Brian Ferry's voice always seemed to bug me a little bit, but this was still a pretty decent record. Might not come back to it all the time, but not too bad at all.
Fave track: Sea Breezes
The Flying Burrito Brothers
3/5
Not all that groundbreaking or innovative, but this is up and down something I was always going to think was pretty good. Parsons' style of songwriting and voice usually just tides me over, and while there's maybe no standout songs, I don't really think there are any stinkers either. I may be becoming predictable, but lap steel guitar and the Byrds' harmonies will pretty much always sound good to me.
Three and a half. Fave tracks: Dark End of the Street and Hot Burrito #1
Michael Jackson
3/5
Good music overshadowed by a disgraced legacy.
I knew eventually I'd have to encounter a review like this, and still not sure where I land on the whole thing. I considered not rating this at all, but I think I'll just try not to overthink it and give an honest rating. There are some great pop songs here. I do prefer the production on the two previous albums, but the hits are pretty strong.
Three stars. Fave track: The Way You Make Me Feel
Sam Cooke
5/5
One of the best live albums, and one of the greatest voices of all time. So much energy! Imagine being in that room - just seems so insane. Full of his best hits and you can just feel the great time everybody's having. Feel like it's hard to listen to this and not have fun.
Four and a half. Fave track: Bring It on Home to Me
The Boo Radleys
2/5
Fine music, at times pretty interesting, but I really don’t think this stuck with me much. Don’t think it’ll be on my rotation again.
Fave track: Wish I Was Skinny
PJ Harvey
3/5
First real dive into PJ Harvey, except for a few songs here and there. Really a lot to like, and really promising for further listening on some of her other albums. Will keep this score modest for now but am eager for some further exploration of her music.
Three and a half. Fave track: Happy and Bleeding
Talking Heads
4/5
Pretty good little record - strange to compare to their other work which seems really quite far ahead, but so much creativity and originality brought to rock music from early on.
Three and a half. Fave track: Psycho Killer
Led Zeppelin
4/5
Crazy debut album. Begins so strong and has depth throughout. All elements of the supergroup on display - precise and creative drumming, amazing guitar playing, striking vocals and fun songwriting. Feels weird and almost pointless to write about a band that people already know are great, there's not a lot that hasn't been said.
Great record, and they only improved from here. I'm certain there'll be several other Led Zeppelin albums on this list, so there'll be some reliable good listens ahead.
Fave track: Dazed and Confused
Iron Butterfly
2/5
I actually sat through the whole thing.
Sometimes 20 minute trippy and sprawling rock songs are exactly my kind of thing (see Dogs or Echoes) and I was hoping this would be the case. Unfortunately, this fell short for me. It got boring and tedious. I could tell from early on with the first few tracks the organ sounds would get annoying and I couldn't engage much with the rhythms or vocals.
One and a half. Fave track: Flowers and Beads
King Crimson
2/5
I've tried time and time again to approach this band and meet them on their level, and I think I just have to accept that they're not going to be one to fully click for me. Impressive and fluid playing, and I liked some of Wetton's vocals, but not a style I can fully sink into as much as I'd like to.
Two and a half. Fave track: Easy Money
The Zombies
4/5
Now this is more the 60s psych pop I can meet and be content with. Different and unusual vocals, baroque songwriting elements, and a few beats that remain with you far more than a lot of other British pop acts in the late 60s. Some obvious tracks stronger than others (namely the bookend tracks being the standouts), but overall this is is a solid record from beginning to end.
Somewhere between a strong three-and-a-half to a light four. Fave tracks: Care of Cell 44 and Time of the Season
Dire Straits
2/5
I thought this would be a pleasant return to an album I played a fair bit as a teenager, but after the first track I remembered I actually don’t like Money For Nothing, and truly despise Walk Of Life.
Things didn’t really improve from there I have to say, and am glad I had a chance to sit down with this album again so I could give another reassessment of it. I might have gone round thinking this was an album I liked! Good lord!
Fave track: Brothers In Arms
2/5
Yeah sorry I am a hater. Really sick of hearing a lot of these songs. I find these tracks so similar and safe and derivative that it really doesn't excite me all that much.
It has its moments, but this doesn't meet the hype.
Anyway, here's Wonderwall.
Two and a half. Fave track: Champagne Supernova
Talk Talk
3/5
Wasn't blown away, but some moody rhythms to relax into. Seem like an interesting band, curious to see if there are other albums of theirs to get stuck into or if this is the peak for them.
Two and a half. Fave track: Chameleon Man
Belle & Sebastian
3/5
Yeah, I like I like. Gentle and melodic pop to get me through the Friday afternoon. Ticked boxes, made me feel nice and nod my head along. Good.
Three and a half. Fave track: Electronic Renaissance
Eagles
1/5
Never liked this album, and maybe this is dramatic but I really struggled getting through it this time.
Don Henley always annoyed me, and I'm sick of these songs.
One and a half. Fave track: The Last Resort
4/5
Innovative in storytelling and production, great flow between tracks, and some iconic tracks. I don't think this is actually close to their best overall record, and a few of the songs fall somewhere in the middle of their overall catalogue for me (She's Leaving Home and Lucy In The Sky I do find a bit overrated).
On the other hand, songs like With A Little Help From My Friends and A Day In The Life continue to grow on me, despite their historic praise. The latter of those two in particular seems to me to be a song that transcends not only this album, but the band itself. It kind of sits alone on another shelf, untouchable, like 'Hallelujah' or 'Auld Lang Syne' or something. It's just separate to other songs. An achievement and probably (maybe) their best ever track.
Three and a half. Fave track: A Day In The Life
Def Leppard
1/5
A snoozer for me. Bland music and lyrics I couldn’t click with much at all.
Paul Revere & The Raiders
2/5
Some alright stuff, but generally feel like we’ve had better bands on this list recently doing the same stuff that I resonated more with.
Two and a half. Fave track: There She Goes
Faust
3/5
Heard a lot about this band and really thought I’d be sucked in. I guess I was a little let down. Not by a lot, I still enjoyed it, but felt it could have reached a little further in its weirdness. I like the long and repetitive stuff, but sometimes just felt like there was some fun missing.
Fave track: Krautrock
Bob Dylan
5/5
My favourite and most listened to Dylan album. Some of his most heartfelt songwriting and storytelling - an achievement in the large tapestry style of narratives he adopts. Great production with soulful guitar work. Every song continues to grow on me, and for my money this is his best record.
It’s a five. Fave tracks: Simple Twist of Fate and Shelter from the Storm
Burning Spear
3/5
Perfect album to listen to while mowing the lawn and pulling weeds out in the sun. Quick and easy fun, nice groove going on. Not sure how often I’ll put on again but still a good listen.
Fave track: Slavery Days
The Charlatans
3/5
I was getting nervous that we nearly went more than two weeks without another by the book Britpop outfit.
Lots of eye-roll inducing lyrics and vocal sounds that I’ve heard a million times before, but still has its moments. Very catchy, crunchy guitars - there’s some stuff to like.
Two and a half. Fave track: How Can You Leave Us
Talking Heads
5/5
Such a banger - full of energy, great combination of unique instrumentation and funny lyricism. One of their best.
Four and a half. Fave track: The Good Thing
Elvis Presley
3/5
I never was really a big Elvis fan. Didn't hate his music, but it never really spoke to me very much. This is probably the most I've enjoyed listening to a record of his. While a lot of it seems as if he ripped off the styles and musicality of his black contemporaries, his voice really does sway you just a bit, and the gospel organ elements are just so pretty to listen to.
A couple of his hits thrown in there and honestly came away from this a lot more positively than I anticipated. A pretty decent record overall.
Three and a half. Fave track: (as if it was ever going to be anything else) Suspicious Minds
Neil Young & Crazy Horse
4/5
I don't think many songs trigger quite an intense emotional response in me as much as this performance of 'Thrasher'. I remember looking up one time looking up once on one of those websites that tells you your top played songs on Spotify (I guess when his music was still on it), and that song was either number 2 or 3 of my all time listens.
The rest of this album is solid - skilled and empassioned guitar playing, some classic sounds from Crazy Horse, and lyrics that leave you sad and weird.
Four and a half. Fave track goes without saying: Thrasher
Echo And The Bunnymen
3/5
Generally a fan of this kind of moody rock with compressed and reverby drums, and overall I didn’t mind this one. Nothing really stood out to me all that much, and I think I’ve heard more interesting stuff from this band before.
Yeah, it was fine. Interesting that this ended up on this list, not really that much of a knock out.
Two and a half. Fave track: Crocodiles
Isaac Hayes
3/5
Cool but kind of odd to listen to a soundtrack here! It’s a pretty different experience than your usual album listening experience. Amazing opener - the rest kind of feels like it’s missing the actual film to complete the experience.
Hayes brings so much character to his soundtracks, and although this is a classic in its own kind of way, there are some of his other scores with highlight guitar licks and orchestral movements that probably stand out even more (namely Truck Turner and Three Tough Guys).
Three stars. Fave track: Theme from ‘Shaft’
Blood, Sweat & Tears
2/5
Some interesting instrumentation and vocal work, but pretty lame in the end. Some tracks could probably lend themselves to some fun soundtracks set in the 70s, but overall as a record I’m not sure this hits the mark completely.
Two and a half. Fave track: And When I Die
The Rolling Stones
4/5
60s classic I’ve never given a proper listen to - had a great time sitting with this one over the weekend. The Stones aren’t a band I ever considered to be in my top catalogue, but every time they’ve come up I’ve enjoyed the album a good deal. Bookended by two great tracks, and even the bluesy honky tonky ones I found great driving tracks. I feel like I’m starting to get their chemistry as band members and reliance on classic styles of song writing and instrumentation.
Good listen.
Three and a half. Fave track: You Can’t Always Get What You Want
Various Artists
3/5
Equal parts terrifying and fun - some classic and unadulterated Christmas cheer mixed with whatever energy it is that Phil Spector emits. Honestly this is a pretty decent record overall, and an easy one to put on over the holidays. Despite the spoken word elements, the singalongs are all a pretty good time.
Fave track: Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)
Laibach
3/5
One of the most sincerely confusing albums yet - it began so aggressively weird that I couldn’t begin to imagine how anyone could enjoy the mix of throaty demon music with the almost Princess Bride-knockoff-sounding synthesisers.
Then somewhere in the middle (probably during the title track) I think I got it. And I thought it was funny, and I thought it was kind of great. Certainly one of the most unique listens I’ll have on this project, and one I had to meet on its level to appreciate. Don’t know how many times I’ll come back to it, but weirdly I think I’ll suggest this to a lot of people just to experience once.
Fave track: Opus Dei
Incredible Bongo Band
2/5
Would be great to mix some of these into a DJ set or something. Lotsa fun, probably didn’t need to listen to before I died.
Two and a half. Fave track: Apache
Paul McCartney and Wings
5/5
Growing up is realising this is better and more interesting than a lot of Beatles albums. McCartney’s best three songs from his 2023 set were all from this album. As was the case the last time he toured.
And rhyming suffragette with jet? *chef’s kiss*
Four and a half. Fave track: Let Me Roll It
Pixies
5/5
In all it’s simplicity and complexity, this is one of the greatest rock albums ever.
Masterful production over this whole project, and a perfect demonstration of the band’s ability to control their dynamic tone. It’s sweet and gritty, catchy and powerful, loud and quiet and loud again.
Not a bad track - a joy from beginning to end.
5 stars. Fave tracks: Hey & Mr Grieves
Bob Dylan
3/5
I have to be in the right mood for later-eta Dylan. He sounds more and more like an old chair.
There’s a lot more slow blues tracks here, which he still writes and plays well, but I never attach to quite as much as his late 60s and early 70s stuff, though there are a couple tracks here I will definitely add to some playlists. (And finding one or two songs to keep listening to from an album I didn’t love is one of my favourite things from this project!)
A strong three stars for now. Fave track: Standing in the Doorway
Tom Tom Club
4/5
We have fun and we like the percussion and we enjoy the spoken word and we think it’s funny but also to be balanced don’t think every song is as good as others. We really like this one.
Three and a half. Fave track: Genius Of Love
Donald Fagen
3/5
While I still enjoy this album, it’s so obviously missing some extra parts that make Steely Dan one of my favourite groups to listen to. There are some highlights in regards to Fagen’s narrative storytelling and, as usual, polished production, but the songs don’t necessarily come together to create something bigger than its parts.
Will still put this on occasionally, and honestly this is one of my favourite album artworks ever.
Three stars. Fave track: IGY
Count Basie & His Orchestra
4/5
Insane album art from a bopping swing outfit.
This was easy to get into and definitely showed off the flashiest and most polished sounds a big band recording can create. Had my socks blown right off listening to the drums on Whirly-Bird and Fantail.
Wonderful collection of tracks - beginning to understand and appreciate Basie’s stratospheric reputation in 20th century music.
Fave track: Whirly-Bird
Dire Straits
3/5
I feel like this is one of those records that stereo salesmen put on for you so you can hear how good the speakers are. At least I had one do that to me one time. And it does sound amazing, production on nearly all Dire Straits albums are pretty insane and everything is sounding really good here.
I will admit that outside of the hit I didn’t think there was any song that jumped out to me. Most would start out with a great groove, and solid rhythm guitar section, but would lose me halfway through the first verse. Knopfler is a genius guitarist no doubt, but find his lyricism and songwriting a bit basic sometimes.
Two and a half. Fave track: Sultans of Swing
Aerosmith
2/5
Some of these songs I could find myself interested in, but in the end I think I’m just pretending to. This sucks and makes me miss the album they had about the attic.
Two stars
Aimee Mann
3/5
Very nice album. Great vocals, good guitar sounds. Might not last for me as being an all timer but this was pretty decent.
Three and a half. Fave track: Mr. Harris
Jorge Ben Jor
3/5
Good album for a walk. Passionate and fun. Clever blending of styles. Interested for more by Jorge.
Three stars. Fave track: O Filósofo
Nirvana
5/5
These albums that have been so endlessly praised in the past are hard to write about. I either feel like I’m being controversial or an unoriginal freaky little duck.
Well, quack quack!
Insane this is one album and not a greatest hits. Ridiculous track list from start to finish.
Four and a half. Fave track: Lithium
Simon & Garfunkel
2/5
I really like some (maybe one) of the other albums they put out, but this feels weird being on this list. It feels a bit scattered not as rich as some of their other works. Some good songs, some ok ones… and Scarborough Fair
Maybe I’ve heard that song too many times, I like to forget it.
Two and a half. Fave track: Dangling Conversation
Genesis
2/5
I’m no stranger to listening to long songs, and certainly listen to my fair share of lame and daggy music, but cmon.
One and a half. Fave track: Back in NYC
GZA
4/5
Pretty behind on albums so rushing through some reviews a bit. This was a great hip hop record. Solid lyrics, good beats, fun transitions.
Fave track: Gold
Big Brother & The Holding Company
2/5
Couldn’t completely attach myself to this. I was more moved by Joplin’s solo album that we listened to. There’s still a lot of energy and passion you can hear, but I didn’t fall in love with this record.
Two and a half. Fave track: Piece of My Heart
Bert Jansch
4/5
I loved the playing and couldn’t quite meet the voice.
An exceptional talent and an album I’m glad has a place on this list. Will be returning to Bert
Three and a half. Fave track: Rambling’s Gonna Be the Death of Me
Massive Attack
3/5
Another pretty solid collection of tracks. Production sounding super cool again - loved driving around town to this. I think this group is landing firmly in a category for me as one I really like but don’t love.
Three and a half. Fave track: Spying Glass
The Who
2/5
Some classic songs in there I couldn’t help but feel a bit detached from.
Thought I’d like it more.
Two and a half. Fave track: A Quick One, While He’s Away
Black Sabbath
3/5
Surely iconic, but not fully a style that I align with my favourite category of classic rock. Something about Ozzy's voice also, although it's legendary, kind of grates with me.
Two and a half. Fave track: Black Sabbath
Robert Wyatt
3/5
This got so much better as it went on. I was ready to write this album off after the first track. The atonal singing and unusual melodies are an easy turnoff.
But a few tracks in and this hypnotic and abstract blending of rhythms, sounds, and spoken word poetry creates an unsettling but alluring mood that really seems ahead of its time. It’s a challenging listen and maybe incomplete in its ambitious intentions as a whole, but there’s a lot to enjoy here.
Three and a half. Fave track: Little Red Riding Hood Hit The Road (part 1)
Liz Phair
5/5
Bold and sweet.
This is a really really really good record from an eclectic collection of a prolific songwriter. I’ve got the CD in my car.
Four and a half. Fave track: Fuck and Run
The Incredible String Band
1/5
I lasted until the line ‘A fish on your dish - is that what you wish?’
That’s just great great stuff. Like a Monty Python spoof of an early Genesis album. Need to lie down after that.
Half star
Green Day
4/5
Had a lot of fun listening to this - they sure had a good punchy sound cultivated back in these days. It’s silly and catchy and I could definitely return to this.
Three and a half. Fave track: Basket Case
Fela Kuti
4/5
This can be playing all day. Fun, rhythmic, catchy, energetic, good times. One of the best to do it in his genre.
Fave track: Zombie
Kate Bush
3/5
Bush is singular in her approach to pop music and that is so appealing. I did find myself less attached to these tracks as I was to those on Hounds of Love. I still enjoyed this, but it proved hard not to compare the songwriting and production to her other work.
Fave track: Deeper Understanding
The Hives
3/5
A perfectly fine album with a distinct and punchy sound I’ll probably never put on again. Enjoyable but all kind of blended together a bit for me.
Two and a half. Fave track: Mad Man
OutKast
4/5
A long album I never had listened to in full - varied and solid throughout, dipping in between pop classics and conceptual storytelling, really enjoyable.
Fave track: Prototype
King Crimson
4/5
Enjoyed this more than I expected to. This band never seemed to fully click for me but this listen I definitely appreciated a solid accomplishment in dramatic and progressive rock. First track is levels above the rest, though.
Three and a half.
Baaba Maal
2/5
I enjoyed the rhythms and vocals on this album, and it made me pretty curious about the artist and previous records they have made. But I didn’t like the production. I thought it was dated and detracted from an otherwise curious find
Two and a half. Fave track: Daande Lenol
Fleetwood Mac
3/5
There’s a lot of parts to this album - a lot of them good, but only a couple great. Its length maybe serves as a detractor rather than a device for artistic brevity.
Nicks and McVie’s vocals are a standout for the album, and honestly I thought pretty much every track was alright. But you just know they’ve done better.
Hope there’s some Peter Green eta Fleetwood Mac somewhere on this list.
Three and a half. Fave track: The Ledge
Roxy Music
3/5
Part of their stylings I find so weird and appealing, and another part I find just kind of annoying after a while. Maybe today wasn’t my day to listen to this.
Two and a half. Fave track: Beauty Queen
The Clash
4/5
A straight up and down great punk album. Some of their more ambitious work to come with mixing genres and tones are maybe more interesting but I have pretty few complaints here. A classic for a reason.
Fave track: Police and Thieves
Joy Division
4/5
Awesome album. Captures a tone that’s hard to replicate and it feels like this ushered in a new world of music entirely.
Has anyone ever put the cover art on a t-shirt before? Might give it a go
Four and a half. Fave track: I Remember Nothing
Jerry Lee Lewis
2/5
Awesome energy but the real real old school rock and roll is probably just a generational thing that I can appreciate but not really wanna put on again and again. I know a lot of guys from this generation get called out on stealing music from their black contemporaries but this has to be your primary case.
Also feel like I know too much about him being a weirdo. Like real weird.
Two and a half. Fave track: Good Golly, Miss Molly
Fred Neil
3/5
Lots of elements that would make me love this sort of album, but failed to totally win me over. Can’t decide if it was too earnest or not earnest enough
Two and a half. Fave track: I’ve Got a Secret
Marianne Faithfull
2/5
I’m not familiar enough with the rest of her work to know if this is par for the course or a kind of misstep in an otherwise solid catalogue. There was some lyrics I really liked but didn’t fully connect with this album overall. Not going to write her off though.
Two and a half. Fave track: The Ballad of Lucy Jordan
Metallica
1/5
I can appreciate trying something new and fresh with classics and reformatting them into something else, but unfortunately I did not think this was very good.
Would rather listen to the originals any day.
One and a half.
Elton John
4/5
This album starts off really strong. Funeral For a Friend is such an unusual and cool way to introduce a pop album, I forgot all about that song and it feels so out of place for an Elton John record. The next few songs are all solid. They're some of his best pop singles ever and almost play like a greatest hits. I know the sound isn't to everyone's taste, but I really have no complaints about the first part of this album.
Other songs really bring the whole thing down. Jamaican Jerkoff is one I really wish I didn't have to listen to again, and nothing in the latter half of the album really does anything to reach the heights of its momentous opening.
Three and a half. Fave track: Bennie and the Jets
G. Love & Special Sauce
1/5
This is what happens when you let annoying people go without bullying. Awful. Just awful.
Shuggie Otis
4/5
Always so underrated as a musician and performer, finally some discussion around Shuggie Otis. This is a fun and funky record, it couldn’t be easier to enjoy. In the regular rotation.
Four stars. Fave track: Strawberry Letter 23
The Flaming Lips
4/5
Actually liked this a fair bit. There’s so much playful production and lots of weird fun sounds to occupy the songs, each of which are pretty and whimsical.
Maybe it borders on twee or a bit self-important overall. I’m not too sure, and there definitely is something off-putting about the project which drops some points for me. I can’t really place my finger on it though, and after a second listen the songs have grown on me even more, so I can’t justify giving this album a worse score.
Three and a half. Fave track: Approaching Pavonis Mons by Balloon (Utopia Platinia)
The xx
3/5
I remembered loving this album when it came out. It was stylish and laid back and moody. It still is all of those things, but seems a little stuck in a time and place and all seems a little basic compared to what they've individually worked on since this project.
I still like the songs, but its shine has been lost on me ever so slightly.
Three and a half. Fave track: Islands
Arcade Fire
3/5
I had been putting off listening to this record as I thought I’d hate it, but honestly didn’t find too much to dislike. It’s nothing unexpected from the group, but still solid songwriting. Maybe not entirely my favourite style of indie rock that I gravitate towards most, but I kinda liked this album.
Three stars. Fave track: No Cars Go
Small Faces
2/5
What a wild ride of feelings. Loved the opener - a winning combination of psych conventions with playful drumming and a hypnotic groove.
And then everything kind of fell apart. Even the next track is decent albeit cheesy, but the more the album delved into the cockney spoken-word narrative quickly, any charm or cuteness really dissipated for me.
Should have stayed with the instrumental jams.
Two stars. Fave track: Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake
Britney Spears
3/5
Really not bad at all for a debut pop album, but I maybe was expecting some more. No doubt there’s some great vocals and nostalgic beats, but there’s also some pretty corny and cringey filler in there too (even for an album like this I’m surprised by songs like Soda Pop).
A harmless listen and Britney is amazing so this lands at 3 stars. Fave track: Deep In My Heart
Tears For Fears
4/5
Packed with hits and a great flow between tracks. This is just a cohesive pop album that really shines when the right elements are concentrated. Some tracks better than others, but when it’s there, it’s there all the way.
A strong three and a half. Fave track: Everybody Wants to Rule the World
Beastie Boys
3/5
Maybe I missed the humour, but these lyrics seem so wack at times. Cool beats and samples, but maybe just a little bit let down by this one.
Two and a half. Fave track: Time To Get Ill
David Ackles
3/5
This record improves as it goes - as more grandiose instrumentation and gospel vocals are introduced, the more enjoyable these tracks become.
Not all of the theatrical folksy stuff wins me over, and tracks kind of seem to flip flop between impassioned winners and a spoof of an off-broadway production.
Somewhere in the middle for my liking here. Two and a half. Fave track: Another Friday Night
Louis Prima
3/5
Fairly harmless fun! Feels unlikely that I’ll be putting this on regularly, and there’s nothing really except silly love songs and short trumpet bops, but it got me booping!
Fave track: Body And Soul
Blur
3/5
Much better than some of the other Britpop in this list, Alvaro and Coxon seem to have figured out something so obvious that others try for.
Still not their best album, but pretty enjoyable.
Decent album. Three and a half. Fave track: Beetlebum
The Doors
3/5
They have such a unique style and it’s hard to deny their power on a bunch of tracks here. I never found myself totally in love with that style and I don’t quite think this completely holds up for me upon each time listening again.
Fave track: Soul Kitchen
Prince
5/5
Just as I felt this project slipping from my hold, and after a drought of actual new discoveries, this album arrives like a spring rain to water the grounds of my ears and heart. And the earbud has blossomed!
This is actually why I wanted to begin doing this whole thing. As much as I love giving middling reviews to classics or hearing a million insipid Britpop records, I actually much prefer hearing something that I have never heard before and immediately love. I love love love when that happens.
Every track is great, and share the balance between never giving too much away and having as much fun as anyone has ever had. The opener is so coolly restrained, but can you just imagine being in the crowd for the live track towards the end of the album? Surely the greatest party ever.
A wonderful experience and absolutely one of my favourites that I have learnt through this whole thing.
Top marks. Fave track: The Ballad of Dorothy Parker
The Shamen
2/5
In the right mood I could have gotten really into this, but today just found this a frustrating listen. As soon as I began to get hooked by a song, I’d be sick of it a minute later. Maybe another listen will provide better results.
Fave track: Human NRG (Massey)
Queen
2/5
Some fine songs, but I don’t think anything that are near my favourite tracks from the band.
Two and a half. Fave track: Killer Queen
The Rolling Stones
3/5
Good record - catchy tunes and developing of a cool style. Maybe not a knock out from beginning to end but pretty damn decent.
Fave track: Under My Thumb
Genesis
3/5
I actually really didn’t hate this. As someone who generally dislikes most of what Phil Collins does overall, this actually tickled me. The theatrics and whirling guitar lines I found fun, so while I expected to bomb this review it might warrant a visit in the future.
Three and a half. Fave track: After The Ordeal
Happy Mondays
3/5
Never gave this band much of a listen before but their style and sound fits in pretty well with stuff I usually have on rotation.
Three and a half stars. Fave track: Mad Cyril
The The
2/5
A style I like, but maybe have heard too much of on this project that I’m getting a bit sick of hearing in ways that aren’t a full on blow away knockout of a record. I like the band, maybe I just wasn’t in the mood.
Sade
5/5
Killer album - amazing production, style just dripping off the tracks, and amazing vocals on a consistent collection of tracks.
Four and a half. Fave track: Your Love Is King